1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitoring apparatus for image forming apparatuses, a control method executed by the monitoring apparatus, and a program for implementing the control method, as well as to a management apparatus, a control method executed by the management apparatus, and a program for implementing the control method. In particular, the present invention relates to a monitoring apparatus which monitors at least one image forming apparatus (in particular, an office printer such as a multi-function copying machine), collects information on the image forming apparatus, and sends the information to a management server (management apparatus), a control method executed by the monitoring apparatus, and a program for implementing the control method, as well as to a management apparatus which manages at least one monitoring apparatus and collects information on the monitoring apparatus, a control method executed by the management apparatus, and a program for implementing the control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been a remote monitoring system which is constructed such that an apparatus (host) having an information processing function and monitoring apparatuses communicate with each other via a communication medium, and which remotely monitors the status of an apparatus such as a copying machine via the monitoring apparatus. For this type of remote monitoring system, there has been a method in which modules (programs) in each monitoring apparatus installed at a remote location, on which modules the monitoring apparatus operates, are remotely updated (version update). In this case, in the state in which the host and the monitoring apparatus whose modules are to be updated are connected to each other such that they can communicate with each other, update data is transferred without fail to update modules within the monitoring apparatus, then it is ascertained whether or not the modules have been updated to desired modules, and then the host and the monitoring apparatuses are disconnected from each other.
It should be noted that various proposals has been made as examples of the above described prior art (refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-322244, for example).
The conventional remote monitoring system described above, however, is encountered with problems as below. In the remote monitoring system, since the host manages a plurality of monitoring apparatuses, whenever modules within each monitoring apparatus are to be updated, the host has to connect with the plurality of monitoring apparatuses one by one so as to communicate with them, which is very complicated and requires much time. Therefore, smooth update is difficult according to the prior art.